Which resort on the weekend?

[lllovell]

Where do you stay when trying to stretch your DVC points for a longer stay?

I am considering going down the Sat. before our December 4th check in to Saratoga and am looking for suggestions.

We have done the All-Stars, Pop, Coronado and POFQ and I definately prefer the moderates I think, but for one night, would it really make that much difference?

[PoohsPal]

I've never stayed at a value before, but the night before my SSR stay, we'll be getting in late. So, I went with PoP. I don't think I'd mind for the first night, but if it was in the middle of my trip, I think I'd have a hard time down-grading.

[tjkraz]

I can't tell you what to do, but I'll share my experiences.

A couple years ago we were driving (looooooong drive), and figured we'd arrive Saturday evening with a Sunday AM check-in at OKW. I used one of those Priceline-type deals to get a room at a nearby Sierra Suites. We had three adults and an infant, and the room was perfect. I paid no more than $65 for the night. We had two double beds and a pull-out sofa. The room was probably only 350 sq ft, but they managed to cram in all of that furniture plus a kitchenette.

And, in the morning they had a continental breakfast in the lobby, so that's one meal we didn't have to pay for.

Going in I told everyone to pack a separate duffel bag with toiletries, PJs and one change of clothes. That meant we didn't have to dig through luggage for what we needed. The big bags stayed in the car overnight, and we just brought in a few necessities.

As tired as we were, I forced everyone over to Downtown Disney for an hour just to get that first day "fix."

If you're arriving in the morning or early afternoon, there may be some value to staying on-site. But if you won't arrive until later in the day, there's something to be said for staying at a convenient off-site location over one of Disney's mammoth 3000 room resorts.

[UsedtobeSmith]

We just added a day to our December trip and opted to spend the first night over at US/IOA. We like the perk of FOTL privledges, and we are interested in seeing the decorations over there..... But if your not 'into' US/IOA that isnt a good option! LOL

Do you plan on arriving early? Would you hit the parks ASAP or kick back?

In December you cant count on swimming (I wish we could though... it would help with planning! LOL)? I wouldnt make a choice based on the pool...

Soooooooo many choices..... and only 38 more years to use them! LOL

[Rash]

We usually arrive late Sat. night (9-10 pm). Even so, we still prefer to stay on property as opposed to an offsite hotel, for a few reasons:

1. I don't know about you, but to me the whole unloading/loading of luggage fiasco is a major inconvenience. They don't call it LUGgage for nothin'. I am willing to pay to minimize as many inconveniences on vacation as possible. Disney will transfer your luggage the next day to your DVC room no charge - boom.

2. I want to GET there ASAP. I don't want to wake up the next morning and have to drive another 15 miles before I see that WALT DISNEY WORLD sign. Seeing that the night we arrive makes the long and tiring travel day worth it.

3. Even though it's late, there's still Mickey soap, Mickey wake up calls, etc. Get's you smiling before you crash. Starts the magic that night. Next morning, you're eating breakfast at a Disney resort with all it's theming, not some generic hotel with no personality.

We've stayed at POP and POFQ. MUCH prefer the moderates. POP was huge and loud. Moderates are a bit more laid back IMO - I need that at 10 pm after traveling for hours.

Considering the overall cost of a Disney trip, $20 or $30 more (compared to offsite) is small potatoes to me. :)

[Colorado Belle]

Onsite I like POFQ....a LOT.

But I agree with coming in late (not much opp to do otherwise from Colorado)
and staying at a cheapie off site. Packing a duffle with PJs and toiletries and Mickey Soap is a MUST so that the LUGgage stays in the car.

I like the idea of doing something Disney...like maybe downtown Dis or heading over to the contemporary to see wishes (unless you are lucky enough to have a pass!) that night, but since I usually stay up all the night before, I kinda like driving into the World in the AM bright eyed and .....nope, don't go there, just brighteyed will suffice!

[lllovell]

Thanks for all the ideas!

We will probably be arriving around 2 or so (I am one of those that is up at the crack of dawn usually on travel days - excited and ready to go...but this trip who knows since PJ will be about 8 weeks old.) That is the biggest hurdle for me is the LUGging of LUGgage (good one Rash) and taking her extra things in and out. But, at the same time, packing one bag with all our stuff for one night might make that a snap (as Tjkraz suggested).

I didn't mind POP when we stayed there even though it is HUGE, but I didn't care much for the All-Stars. They feel like they need an overhaul to me while POP is still fresh.

I do like the first day "fix" and the whole point of going a day early would be to maybe meet up with some of the Mousefest people on Sat night and then have breakfast with them on Sunday morning (which at Tagrels I think is going to be at AK - now that would be sweet - to swing a "reasonable" AK room, but not really in my budget for this trip).

You know, if I didn't have APs, it wouldn't even be an issue....DANG AP DISCOUNT PERK! LOL!

I want to try Universal and I see that as being an excellent place to stay in the future, but the boys are still a bit too small and with a baby, I think we need an adult per child to do it the first time (so each child has someone to ride with).

Decisions....Decisions.... (and I haven't mentioned it to hubby yet lol luckily, he will say "whatever you choose dear ;) )

Laura

[kathleena]

Well, I think this last trip I negated the purpose of saving points! LOL! We stayed two nights at the WL - but I did have a woods view room at an AP rate of $155/night, so not too bad.

I am with Rash on this one - I just hate the moving around, so have to minimize it all. I really didn't like staying two nights and then having to move.

This Dec, we will stay one night at POP and then move to SSR. I plan to take one small bag as carry one, the other one will be checked and going to POP thru ME. I will just asked them to send it to SSR without bringing it up to us.

As for the breakfast on Sunday morning Laura - it's at Kona which is in the Poly! I'm planning on being there and will be around all by myself on Sunday also while DH is golfing. Am I hearing the very first DVCBoards Meet in the planning?????

[lllovell]

As for the breakfast on Sunday morning Laura - it's at Kona which is in the Poly! I'm planning on being there and will be around all by myself on Sunday also while DH is golfing. Am I hearing the very first DVCBoards Meet in the planning?????

I am going to call CRO and see what is available before I get too far into this plan :) but I really would like to go and at least get to come to breakfast and see everyone! (for some reason, I was thinking it was at Boma! Glad I didn't get all wrapped up in that AK Lodge idea lol)

So, I will let you know Kathleena!

[cruise-o-matic]

We're staying at PoP on the AAA rate when we arrive Friday night 12/9 around 9:30....then we're checking out ASAP Sat AM and heading over to BCV. We'll have a rental car, so we'll be LUGging our LUGgage.

I'd rather stay on-site than off for the 1st nite. (Plus when you make your ADR's, you can call a day earlier than staying off-site.)

[kathleena]

Oh, and silly me - I forgot! Deep-Thots and I had tentatively arranged a meet in October after we have a Segway Tour (me on the early one, she on the second one!).

So we would have the second meet, but the first at MouseFest! LOL!

[jnrrt]

now we're using the weekends to try the resorts we haven't been to yet. I'd like to stay at least once at every resort. We've been at an All-Stars (yes, I'm lumping them all together - no need to do that 3 times, we get it already, lol!), Pop, CB, AKL, and the FW cabins. We've also done DVC at OKW and BWV's. So next time we'll probably end up doing Coronado since we have to get in there before our official 4 turns into an official 5 (that there baby doesn't really exist until he's 3!), or POFQ. We'll save POR for last of the moderates since they'll let you have 5 in there.

I think they're all worth a shot once at least! But I have to say that DVC is definitely spoiling me for regular hotels. It hurt to move from a GV to a standard hotel room, even for only one night!

[DrTomorrow]

Now that we fly in from Phoenix, we pretty much always arrive in the afternoon (3-4PM) or later. One thing we've started to do is to stay our first night in a Studio at a different DVC resort than the one we'll be at for the rest of the stay (usually our home resort SSR). Last May we spent the night at VWL and simply loved walking around the place. We ate there at the snack shop, strolled around the grounds and did the triangle route on the ferries: WL to CR to FW and back to WL. (There was also a shuttle launch or some space thing that night that we all stopped and stared at). The next morning we ate at the WL restaurant (Roaring Forks? The one with all the ketchup) then left and checked into SSR.

This December we're spending our first two nights in a Studio at OKW (first time there) then moving to a 2BR at SSR when our son arrives ( I mean when he flies in from Detroit, not that my wife's having a baby at WDW).

With the increase of busy-osity in our lives, we're in the situation where we're making fewer trips, so spending the points on a Studio is cheaper than a hotel room (renting issues notwithstanding).

[lenshanem]

I used to be all about stretching those points, but now we've become totally spoiled and don't want to pack up and move anymore. For spring break we've got THREE higher points nights booked. :crymeariv

I'm trying not to think about an additional trip we could get out of those points!

Since we are only a half day's drive away we now leave around five in the morning and get there shortly after noon. I just load the kids up in the car with their PJs still on.

We've only been in studios, but if we ever move up and get addicted to the bigger units we'll have to take a second mortgage out! :faint:

[Leftcoaster]

We usually arrive late Sat. night (9-10 pm). Even so, we still prefer to stay on property as opposed to an offsite hotel, for a few reasons:

1. I don't know about you, but to me the whole unloading/loading of luggage fiasco is a major inconvenience. They don't call it LUGgage for nothin'. I am willing to pay to minimize as many inconveniences on vacation as possible. Disney will transfer your luggage the next day to your DVC room no charge - boom.



LUGgage is also more difficult for you as you have no opposable thumbs. =)

[jaysue]

For the first time in March 06 we are going to be in a studio for the weekend nights - we arrive on a Thursday in a studio and move on Sunday - normally we do not have to worry about point balances but with an extra trip over NYE this year that was not "in the plan" - yikes - 2 nights on that trip at 95 pts per :hammer:

If we were really tight on points we would probably opt for a mod for the Fri/Sat combo and frankly if money was tight as well, we would easily stay at a value

We tailor our vacation to our budget and have been just as happy in $35-$40 Bed and Breakfast as $500+ Mountain lodge suites - for WDW, most of the vacation is out of the room and since you can visit resorts, we would be ok with pretty much any of them

cheers
jaysue

[DSNY FN]

We always camp out at the All Stars or at CSR for our weekends away from DVC. We have also gone out to Cocoa beach for the weekend with the ids for something different but it just isn't the same. We are going to try the cabins @ FW after our next trip.